Expansion joint-coupling for track-rails.



No. 7I2,320. Patented Oct. 28-, I902.

J. W MGBURNEY.

I EXPANSION JOINT COUPLING FOR TRACK RAILS.

(Application 515d June 27, 1902;}

(No Model.)

- Ill/I WITNESSES: I INVENTOH- 5 Z, Z I I Jbizn Wflfirrzey BY fi ATTORNEYS.

' UNITED STATES:

PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN W. MCBURNEY, OF FORT PALMER, PENNSYLVANIA.

EXPANSION JOINT-COUPLING FOR TRACK-RAILS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 712,320, dated October 28, 1902.

Application filed June 27, 1902. Serial No. 113,500. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN W. MCBURNEY,

in a reliable manner and afford compensation for expansion of the rails during hot weather.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts, as is hereinafter described, and defined in the appended claim.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a transverse sectional view of a track-rail and of the improved coupling device mounted thereon, showing the construction of details thereof. Fig. 2 is a perspective View of a longitudinally-recessed locking-plate that is a novel detail of the invention. ling tongue-plate which is complementary to the locking-plate shown in Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 is a side view of two track-rail'portions at their joint and an end view of the tongue on the coupling-plate exposed in slots formed in.

the webs of the meeting track-rails and occupied by said tongue.

Each of the track-rails 5 5 of similardimensions and form has the usual head portion a,

spaced from the base-flange b by the upright web 0. As clearly shown in Fig. 4, a T shaped slot is cut in the web of each trackrail at and near theend thereof; The vertical portions 6 of the T slots are suitably spaced from the ends of the rail-webs by the horizontal portions? thereof,"that in service are alined, the ends of said portions 7 of the T-slots cuttingthrough the ends of the railwebs, so as to render'these alined slot portions. practically continuous.

The coupling tongue-plate, that is an essential detail of the invention, consists of a rec- Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a coupof the Webs c of the track-rails 5 that are to be connected together by the improvement,

said bar or plate .8 having such width that the parallel top and bottom edges thereof have contact with the track-rail heads a and base-flangesb when the coupling device is applied thereto, as indicated in Fig. 1.

Upon one side of the bar 8 and near its center a tongue projection is formed or secured, comprising two similar end blocks 9, that are rectangular in form and are connect-- ed by the elongated web-flange 10, that extends between the end blocks, joining them at their center of width. The upper and lower sides of the tongue projection are untangular flat bar 8, having sufficient length to properly lap upon adjacent end portions.

dercut at and near the free face of the same,

which is parallel with the bar 8, thus producing a dovetail formation 11 on the tongue.

The contour and relative proportions of the tongue projection permit its free-insertion within the mating and adjacent VT slots formed in the ends of the track-rails 5 and also allow a suitable end play of the tongue in the slots, for'a purpose that will hereinafter be explained.

As shown in Fig. 1, the dovetail formation 11 is disposed exterior of the rail-webs 0 when the coupling plate or bar 8 is seated upon the V opposite side of the rail-webs.

The'locking-plate, thatis a completing detail of the novel rail connection, is shown best in Fig. 2, and comprises an elongated metal billet, bent laterally at 01, thus providing an upright bar member 12 and a lateral cap flange 13. The portion 12 is parallel on its side walls and also on the top and bottommation on the couplingbar 8 is inserted through the adjacent alined T-slots in the webs of the abutting rails 5, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4, so that the dovetail member 11 projects outside of the rail-webs c. The part 11 is now introduced into an appropriate end of the dovetail channel 6 by placing the locking-plate in position on the rails 5, near the tongue memberll, and then sliding the locking-plate in the direction of said tongue member for its complete insertion within the channel e.

The degree of outward projection of the tongue on the coupling plate or bar 8 is such as will require some force to slide the locking-plate over the tongue member, which will render the connection of parts reliable and prevent looseness laterally.

As a proper degree of end motion is afforded for the tongue member of the coupling plate or bar in the T-shaped slots in the railwebs c, it will be seen that this provision compensates for expansion in length of the rails 5 due to climatic changes and prevents injury to the rail connections.

It is to be understood that the locking device may be applied to either side of the webs of the rails 5, as may be found desirable.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- A track-rail connection, comprising a flat bar, a dovetail tongue on one side of said bar, lateral enlargements on the ends of the tongue to engage T-slots in track-rail webs, and a laterally-flanged locking-plate having a laterally-open channel dovetailed in cross-section that is adapted to receive the dovetail member of the tongue.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN W. MOBURNEY.

WVitnesses:

JOSEPH BASSETT, JAMES N. MCBURNEY. 

